


November Cold

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Humanstuck, M/M, its really sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2013-09-15
Packaged: 2017-12-26 15:37:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/967662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Eridan, wath thith thuppothed to be a date?” he asks, flustered, looking at his shoes and fumbling with his hands, standing in the doorway of his small house cause you walked him back. And damn, if he isn’t the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.</p>
<p>Sollux is a nice guy who works in a small pc and electronics store and gradually befriends a customer whose computer keeps malfunctioning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	November Cold

“Eridan, wath thith thuppothed to be a date?” he asks, flustered, looking at his shoes and fumbling with his hands, standing in the doorway of his small house cause you walked him back. And damn, if he isn’t the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.

It started about two months ago, nearing the end of September. The leaves on the trees are starting to turn yellow but not quite giving in to the millions different shades of brown and orange yet. Your computer has stopped working, or at least, doesn’t want to start again, which is the same you suppose. You don’t really know that much about computers, so you call the local computer company and ask if they can repair it or at least have a look at it, but they tell you none of their technicians have a free spot anywhere within the next two weeks. You say that won’t be soon enough, and tell them “Thank you anyway,” and sigh deeply.

Your name is Eridan Ampora, you’re twenty-six years old, and you really need your damn computer so you fish the telephone book from the bottom of the piles with magazines under the coffee table in the living room of your apartment. You look through it, searching for any other business that may be able to help you and fix your computer. When you finally find one it’s five pm and you wonder whether they’d still be open, so you give them a ring. Someone picks up and after you quickly explain your situation he asks you if you could bring the computer over before six –“thikth”, as he says it, with a lisp–, so they can take a look at it tomorrow, first thing in the morning. He gives you some directions and you tell them you’ll be over in a bit.

You have no idea what all these wires are even for, but you carefully pull them out one by one. The computer is way heavier than you expected it to be but you manage to lift it up and bring it to the front door of you apartment anyways. You step into your shoes, put on your dark blue jacket and fasten the buttons quickly, not all the way up, and grab one of your scarves to go with it. You grab your keys and pick up the computer again, close the door behind you with your elbow, take the elevator down and walk to your car. You put your computer in the back seat and follow the directions the guy on the phone specified.

You park in front of the store, a small “pc and electronics store” tucked away in the back of a big city. It doesn’t look like it has a lot of customers, probably stolen away by the bigger companies by time. The door and windowsills are painted a faint yellow, but you bet they once were a much brighter and livelier shade, and have faded over the years. A neon “open!” sign hangs on the inside of the window, and you pick up your computer, lock your car, and head on inside.

They have one of those stupid bells above the door and it alerts the guy sitting at the counter. He has strawberry blonde hair and stops stirring his tea or coffee or whatever he’s got in that mug right next to him to look at you expectantly.

You walk up to him and put your computer on the counter. He looks at it for a bit, and then back at you.

“Ah, yeth,” he nods, “You called a bit ago, right? It’th good you could bring it over right away!”

You explain once more how your computer just stopped operating out of the blue, and the guy –‘the guy’ because he isn’t wearing a name tag nor has he stated his name, so it’s just ‘the guy’– mumbles a few things which you don’t quite understand, technical stuff, most probably.

“Well,” he says, and hands you some kind of card and a pen, “If you’d jutht write your data – you know, name, addreth, phone number, that kind of thtuff – on the card, I’ll put thith in the back.”

Once he gets back you’re done, and he tells you smiling that someone will call once your computer is done. You tell him thanks, smile back, and leave.

 

It’s Friday afternoon and you’ve kind of been waiting for a call, cause it’s been four days and you’re just wondering how your computer is doing. So when your phone vibrates in your pocket just when you got up to get something to drink, you pick it up immediately and ask, “Hello?”

“Hello, thith ith Thollukth from the P-Thee and electronicth thtore and I’m calling to thay that your computer ith ready to be picked up.”

Half an hour later you’re in the tiny computer store again, and Sollux – you didn’t really understand his name on the phone because of his lisp, but he’s wearing a name tag now so you didn’t have to be awkward and ask – Sollux is explaining what was wrong with your computer, and you figure maybe you shouldn’t have asked because you don’t understand a word of it, but you let him talk anyway because his green and blue eyes lightened up when you did. While he’s talking you kind of zone out and look at him, really look at him. There’s something captivating in the way he talks, the way does it, how he explains something that you don’t understand with technical terms you didn’t even know existed, but you nod anyways because he’s smiling while he does it and you don’t want to make him feel bad.

When he’s finally done – it makes you a bit sad because you feel like you could listen for hours to him talk about these things – he pushes his glasses up his nose and smiles at you, and he’s not particularly handsome or exceptional in any way but in that moment he’s gorgeous, and you feel like he ought to warn you next time he pulls this on you. You pay for the repair, you thank him, and go home, with a computer that’s working again.

 

But about two and a half weeks later, your computer gives up again. Just when you finish writing an email, it freezes and it wont do anything. Then the screen goes black, and you groan loudly. You decide you really don’t have time for this, so you search for the number of the pc and electronics store immediately and after a few seconds, the phone get picked up.

You soon understand that this is _not_ Sollux, firstly, because this person doesn’t have a lisp. Secondly, because they’re a lot grumpier than you remember Sollux being. When you explain that your computer has crashed again, the person on the other side of the line scoffs and asks you “Have you turned it off and on again?”. Eventually you ask if they can send someone over or something, and you fainly catch something like, “Hey Captor, you got some time in a bit?” and it almost kind of disappoints you because you’re sure it isn’t Sollux.

So when it is Sollux, standing on your doorstep wearing a yellow hoodie unzipped with a simple black shirt underneath, grey jeans and carrying something that looks like a box with tools about an hour after you called, you are surprised. In a good way.

You let him in and point him to the study, where your computer is, and you ask if he wants something to drink. He says he’d like some tea, “with one thcoop of thugar”. When you get back with his tea, and yours, he has already put the computer on its side, lying on the desk. You hand him his tea but he puts it down beside him and continues doing his thing. You just kind of sit down in the chair and look at him, and you notice that his mouth his open and he bites on the tip of his tongue when he’s concentrated, and you can’t help but think that it somehow looks really cute.

Sollux ends up checking everything twice and somehow gets your computer to work again, and he stays for a bit longer to have another cup of tea, and at some point he tells a funny joke and you haven’t laughed that hard since college. When he finally says he really has to get back you kind of want to pout cause it’s so much fun, he’s so easy to be around with, but you just give him his money and a big tip and tell him thanks, and he says that “No problem, but man, your computer hath theen the betht of it’th dayth.”

Just before he gets out of the door, and he gives you his card with his number, so you can call whenever there’s something up with your computer again.

 

So when you call him a day later on Wednesday morning to say that you think your computer has stopped, this time for once and for all, he laughs, he is hardly surprised.

He is over in less than fifteen minutes and you honestly look like shit. You haven’t even had any time to brush or comb your hair and you’re wearing a big pullover hoodie and grey sweatpants, while he’s, wow, he’s looking great. There’s nothing in particular that makes him so, he’s just wearing a simple red and blue striped sweater and some black jeans, but he’s completely swept you off your feet.

His words finally wake you from your thoughts, “You gonna let me in or what?”

Sollux doesn’t even have to look at the computer for more than a second for him to tell you that “It theemth your computer hath pathhed away, thorry.”

You ask him if he has to go back to work right away but he laughs and says that today is actually his day off, and you wonder why he’d agreed to come over on his free day but he seems like he doesn’t really mind. You suppose he likes being around you, just like you like being around him. You offer to make something for lunch and he can’t really say no because he has nothing planned to do anyways, so you really try your best to make one of the few good dishes you know, and you suppose it turned out good because afterwards he thanks you for the great lunch.

When he leaves he tells you to come over the next day so he can help you pick a new computer and order it through the store with a discount.

 

So the next day you find yourself in your car, parked in front of the pc and electronics store around ten in the morning and you try to look inside and you faintly see someone with light hair sitting at the counter, and your heart jumps, because it’s Sollux. Even though you knew he’d be there.

You get out of your car and walk in, the bell above the door rings and you see him looking at something like a magazine or something and he must be concentrated because he doesn’t look up. That, or he’s figured it was you already, but you’re not sure which is more likely.

“Goodmorning, Sol,” you say when you’re practically standing against the counter, and then he finally looks up at you and stretches his back and sits back in the chair.

“Hey ED,” –he started calling you ED and you don’t really mind, if anything you think it’s funny– “I looked up thome computerth thimilar to the one you had, wanna take a look?” he says all excited and you can’t help but smile and nod. He pulls out another chair next to him, and you walk over and sit down. He opens some kind of catalog on the computer on the counter and together you spend about an hour browsing –mostly because Sollux tells some jokes and you keep cracking up when you try to be serious– before you decide on one that’s not too expensive and “a great thjoithe” in Sollux’ eyes.

He tells you he’ll handle the stuff from there and he’ll let you know when the computer’s here, and you just nod, and smile, and say goodbye, and you’re secretly kind of looking forward to the arrival of your new computer.

 

So when you haven’t heard anything from Sollux two days later, Saturday morning, you call him before you head off to your own work. He apologises, he says he had expected the computer to be there already but it isn’t, and you say it’s okay. Sollux says he was kind of bored because there are no customers anyways, so he’s actually glad you called. You just laugh, and you keep just kind of talking about all kinds of things for a while until you really have to leave, so you say bye-bye, “See you later,” and head off to work.

When you get home somewhere between one and two am, you see that you have two missed calls and a text, from Sollux.

“iive got your computer, miind iif ii briing iit over tomorrow morniing around 10?”

And you text him back, you don’t even care that it’s late, because you’re hella excited for this.

“that’s great! i’ll be waitin for you tomorrow, or actually, today, haha”

And you kind of expected him to be sleeping already, but you never expected him to text back so quickly, as if he was waiting for you to reply.

“OK! see you later, and goodniight”

You fall asleep still grinning to yourself.

 

Sol is there a bit late and you don’t exactly mind because it gives you enough time to check your hair a thousand times. You’re wearing a simple t-shirt with some print with a violet hoodie left unzipped and your favourite grey striped skinny jeans.

When he finally arrives you eagerly jump up from the couch to open the door for him. He’s carrying a large box that contains your new computer and you offer to carry it for him but he says it’s okay, and that he can handle it.

You end up unboxing the new computer together after you’ve both had a cup of tea, and after that he helps you installing it because you honestly have no idea what you’re doing and you’re glad he’s there. You even tell him so, like five times. He snickers when you say it a sixth time.

You end up going out for lunch together after the computer’s running smooth and set up like you wanted it, and you have a lot of fun. You guess it’s kind of ironic how this friendship – you mean, you suppose you’re kind of friends now, right? – all came to be because of your broken computer.

When you’re both finished and you’ve paid for the both of you because you think it’s the least you can do to thank him for putting up with you and helping with your computer, he asks you if you have anything to do the day after tomorrow because he accidentally has a free day and none of his friends are available, and you say you’re free too, so he suggests you come over to watch a movie and just have some fun, and you gladly accept.

 

It’s half past six in the evening when you ring his doorbell. He explained to you how to get there and you hope it’s the right house. It’s only a ten minute walk from your apartment to his house, so you didn’t bother putting on a jacket.

He lets you in he smiles at you and when you kick off your shoes in the hallway he asks whether you’d like something to drink. Ten minutes later you’re settled on the couch in the living room with drinks and a bowl of popcorn on Sollux’ lap, watching a movie you both like, which wasn’t that hard to pick because when you look at his DVDs you realise your taste is about seventy percent the same as his.

When you’re about three quarters through the movie you feel something heavy against your shoulder, and you realise it’s Sollux’ head.

“Sol?” you whisper, but then you notice that his eyes are closed and his breathing is slow and regular, and your face heats up, because hell, he’s adorable. You grab a handful of popcorn, try to watch the movie and not look at him, but his prescence is distracting and you end up fully paying attention to him instead.

You wonder what it would be like to put your arm around him, have him curled up against you, share his heat. Your blush deepens at the thought and you almost do it, but then realise that it’s too risky and he’ll probably wake up, and that would be awkward.

You wonder what it would be like to kiss him, his lips against yours, sparks zipping up and down your spine, you wonder what it would be like to kiss him right now and you hurry the thoughts out of your mind, but you can’t help but wonder what it would be like.

You realise how hard your heart is beating and you bet your face is flushed red, you probably look like a fucking tomato. You decide that if you’re going to do this you’re not gonna be a pussy and take advantage of him while he’s sleeping. _If_ you’re going to do this, you’re going to properly _court_ him.

Sollux wakes up about ten minutes later because you shift how you’re sitting on the couch and he gets to watch the last one minute and thirty four seconds of the movie. He apologises about falling asleep against you and you flush slightly again, but just brush it off and say it’s okay.

When you leave you say it was fun and nice of him to ask you over, and Sol suggests that you should hang out more often. You completely agree, and tell him until next time. You walk home with a smile on your face, even though it’s cold and you probably should have brought a jacket.

 

You hang out three more times with him after that, spread out over two weeks. You like spending time with him. He was coming over to watch a movie tonight but then you suddenly get a call from work, saying that they really need you in for the night and you feel really bad about it but you cancel your plans with Sollux. You tell him multiple times that you’re very sorry, and he says it’s okay, he understands, but you feel a tinge of disappointment in the way he says it.

 

You’ve had a horribly busy one week and a half, working every day because someone else had gone on sudden leave and you had to kind of make up for them in a sense. You usually text with Sollux during your breaks, though, and it really lightens your mood and makes your work a lot more bearable.

So when you finally get a long weekend off, you don’t even take off your jacket or your shoes, you immediately call the pc and electronics store once you get home because you know Sollux will be the one to pick up.

“Hello, thith ith Thollukth from the P-Thee and Electron–”

“Sol.”

“ED?”

“I have a technical question.”

A somehow amused sigh. “Hit me with it.”

“W-would you like to go an’ see a movie with me tomorrow?”

“Uh, thure, I’ll uh–”

“Good. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

You press the red button on your phone before he can say anything back and you giggle like an eight year old who’s just succesfully prank called someone. “Is your refridgerator running?” “Yes.” “Then you better go catch it!”

 

You’re wearing a purple faded cardigan and your favourite blue scarf, and your black skinny jeans that make your ass look great. Yeah, you’re not even going to deny it, you totally put them on on purpose. You park your car in front of his house at exactly seven pm and you check your hair one last time in the mirror before going outside to pick up Sollux.

“Have you had dinner already?” you ask when you’re in the car together, a little bit later, driving to the city, and he shakes his head, “Nope.”

“Well the movie starts at eight thirty, so I guess we have plenty of time to get something to eat.”

 

You park your car somewhere and wander around the town with Sollux for a bit so you can decide where to eat, and none of you really know what you’re feeling like eating so you end up in Subway, and ten minutes later you’re slowly eating your sandwiches and sipping at your drinks because there is no rush, and you’re just catching up with eachother because you haven’t seen him in one and a half week and you know you’d be lying if you say you haven’t missed his company because being around him feels so natural, like you’ve been friends for years.

When you’re both finished you leave and walk to the theatre and on the way you accidentally brush your hand against his, and it’s too dark to see it clearly but you think he’s blushing.

The movie you picked was apparently a great choice, Sollux tells you he’d been wanting to see this one ever since it got out a few weeks ago. He’s suddenly really excited and he won’t shut up about it until the lights in the cinema go out.

Both of you ended up really enjoying the movie and on the way back to the car you exchange your thoughts and opinions, and when you’re in the car Sollux tells you about the movie that was before this one, which you hadn’t seen, and he really thinks you ought to cause you’ll like it, and he spends the entire drive telling you about it and it’s just like the time he explained what was wrong with your computer, you don’t really have any idea what he’s talking about, but he’s captivating and gorgeous, the way he talks about it.

When you park in front of his house again you walk back to the door of his house with him, and he gets his keys out of his pocket and opens the door. He’s about to go inside and say goodbye, when he turns around on the doorstep and looks at you, _really_ looks at you for a second.

“Eridan,” he says, and hell, he’s serious, cause he usually calls you ED, that stupid nickname he gave you, “wath thith thuppothed to be a date?”

He’s flustered, looking at his shoes and fumbling with his hands. And damn, if he isn’t the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.

A thousand things to say cross through your mind and you can’t pick the one you like the most, and if you could, you’re pretty sure you wouldn’t be able to get it out anyways.

Instead, you inch your hands forwards and grab his. You pull him towards you and haul him in for a kiss, his lips against yours. And for a second he doesn’t move, like it took him a bit to process what’s happening, but then he leans in to you too and kisses back, and in that moment, you’re really fucking happy your computer crashed.

**Author's Note:**

> ahhhh this is actually my first erisol fic i really hope you liked it!!  
>    
> also koalanurples on tumblr drew an amazing fan art for this fic! if you didnt already got here from there you should totally check it out!! its so perfect wow http://koalanurples.tumblr.com/post/62488395870
> 
> UPDATE 2016: im not into homestuck anymore, but i guess im leaving these fics up because i really hate it when people delete fics i liked and i dunno maybe theres someone who considers this one of their favorite fics


End file.
